I have learned a great deal about patience

New Missionary Training - October 2016

What a good week. We worked pretty hard. I continue to find it harder to be super productive in a foursome because we have double the work that we can get accomplished, but we still have the same amount of work that we have to do as a companionship so it consists of a lot of trying to come up with random stuff to do sometimes. It's been alright though.


There was a family confirmed this week and I invited an investigator to set a baptismal date. We'll see how he responds but I think he's ready to make the commitment. He knows that things are true it is just the final step to enter into the path. I know that through Christ anything is possible and that he will be willing to commit when it is his time.

I have learned a great deal about patience and being willing to allow others to make their own choice. It's really hard, but it works out pretty well. Halloween Today is going to be a really good time. I'm excited for our zone activity. Things are going really well and I love you all! Hope you have a great week!

Elder Reynolds

It's awesome to find investigators who have the desire to make changes & commit their life to Jesus Christ!

I had an awesome week! We worked really hard and found a lot of success. It started with exchanges last Monday night with the Poulsbo District leader. We had 6 Elders in our area for Monday night and then Tuesday we were with them until like 4:30! Planning for 6 people was pretty rough, but it worked and we found success as we did so. Then we had a super good night on Tuesday night. At our Book of Mormon study there were 21 people, not 21 investigators. We are working on that, but 21 people were there and it was a really spiritually uplifting meeting where we found a lot of success with our investigators.
Then after we met with an investigator and Elder Strong and I got to teach him. I have been praying really hard for him. We invited him to set a baptismal date by Sunday but then since we had a baptism yesterday we didn't get to talk to him about it. Hopefully pretty soon he will be ready to be baptized. I love the kid. He's really awesome!

The rest of the week went well.  On Friday we had interviews with President Blatter and it was awesome. I am a lot more comfortable around him now than I was early on in my mission. I talked to him about our zone and the missionaries and how I'm doing. I love President! he is awesome and such an inspired man, I love being able to work with him here in the WATAC.

Then Sunday I had the chance to witness a family be baptized. It was DOPE! There were a bunch of people there and always a cool experience to be a part of a baptism. I'm grateful for their family and they have already talked about the final goal of going to the Temple to be sealed together in a year. It's awesome to find investigators who are committed and have the desire to make changes and commit their life to Jesus Christ. I know that this is true.

I had a really unique experience this Sunday at church. The primary program was in one of our wards. The other one is in a couple weeks. The opening song that they sang was Scripture Power. Wow was it powerful. I loved it. Knowing these things are true is such a blessing and the young kids, even 3-5 year olds know that they are true. What a blessing to have this wonderful gospel and the words of God given to us to guide us and protect us no matter what. This gospel is so simple. So simple that children understand. If you have a question, you ask Heavenly Father and study the scriptures and he will show you the answers that you need.

Love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Reynolds

Marquez Family Baptism

Elders Strong, Reynolds, Atchley and Martin

Elders Martin and Reynolds

Elders Martin
 and Reynolds

Success Is No Accident-I Love Greenie Faith!

Had a good week here full of lots of fun memories. Working in a foursome brings a lot of unexpected surprises and funny things that happen all the time. It is a joy but makes things hard sometimes too! This week I had the opportunity to meet with the Marquez family and they are ready to be baptized on the 21st of October instead of the 22nd. It is awesome to see their family ready to make this commitment and be ready to be in full fellowship. It's been way too long for them and it's time. I know it is. I'm praying so hard that it will happen.

There was supposed to be a big storm this last weekend but it was pretty normal Washington weather, rain and wet and a little bit of wind. Nothing new to us here in Silverdale! It was pretty fun to get ready with a whole bunch of firewood from members and getting flashlights and candles ready..it didn't quite work out though. We didn't have to use any of it so we have just been having a fire in the house to keep things warm for the last few days! It is a change of pace during the evenings and a lot of fun. Elder Atchley our greenie is doing pretty well. he is willing to try whatever and it's a lot of fun to work with him. I love greenie faith. It is awesome. It brings me back to when I had the highest hopes on everything and makes me have them again. It's great! We are finding more new investigators and having more teaching opportunities so I'm excited for what the next few weeks will bring. I hope that you all have a great week!

Much Love,
Elder Reynolds (:

attachment:  I have this quote by Pele hanging up near my desk. This is the quote! I love it and I think it is a very important principle to keep in mind as we go throughout our life. 

Elders Martin, Atchley, Reynolds & Strong

I totally forgot how much I don't like rain

Heyy everyone!

I had a really good week and I'm so grateful to be here in the wonderful rainy Washington. I totally forgot how much I don't like rain. On Tuesday we had transfers and during the day we went to Tacoma to pick up our new missionaries who are going to be here in the area with us for awhile. It rained all day, then during our 5-7 knocking it poured. SUPER HARD. It was a really great welcome to this mission for our boy Elder Atchley. He got over it pretty quick and he enjoyed it. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be here in Silverdale.

Then we had MLC on Friday so that is always fun to go and to be with the other leaders of the mission. Elder Call who is an area 70 came and spoke to us. It was a lot of fun. He talked a lot about Repentance and how if we aren't willing to challenge others to change then there are one of two things. Either they aren't worthy of the correction, or we aren't bold enough. Either way it is a lame excuse and we need to do better. I am grateful for the influence of worthy leaders who are ready to share with us the things that we need to know.

Fast Sunday is always a good time to be able to reflect on the things that we learned. The General Conference talk that has stuck out to me over the last day has been Elder Nelsons about Joy. Just finding joy in everything that you do. I know that as you strive to find happiness in your life that you will. It can and will happen. I hope that you all have a great week this week! I love it here in the WATAC. It was cool to see Sister Tueller come here on Tuesday, she is serving in the area right next to mine. Now there is also Sister Petersen (who served in Brigham City) and Sister Larsen from back home all really close here in the WATAC. It's the best! Here is a few pictures.

Love,
Elder Reynolds

Elder Reynolds and Elder Martin

Elder Reynolds and Elder Atchley

Elder Reynolds, Elder Martin, Elder Atchley, Elder Strong

General Conference is Awesome!

Had a great week here in the WA-TAC! General Conference is awesome and I had such a good time watching it. We had the chance to watch it at four different places. It was really cool and there are honestly so many talks that stood out to me so I can't pick one to focus on. I'm grateful for the opportunity to stay here in the same area and we will be in a foursome. It will be a lot of fun. Elder Strong and I are training and will also have another missionary here with us.

This week we had the opportunity to have the Marquez family set their baptismal date to October 8th. I'm really excited for them. It's going to be really cool. I know that this is true and that things will continue to progress as we work hard and do the things that our Father in Heaven wants us to. I hope that you all have a great week this week!

Love,
Elder Reynolds

General Conference paper ties made by a sweet member.  Elder Reynolds and Elder Strong.

This Week Was Good!

This week was good! Another busy week. At the Book of Mormon study class that we have each week we had 3 members for fellowship and a few investigators too. It's really cool to see something like this grow from 1 person and a couple missionaries to members and investigators and missionaries all coming together to study the Book of Mormon and be able to apply it to our lives and share experiences with each other.

The Marquez family didn't come to church and our only issue is that we need them to get to know more of the members. It'll work out pretty quick once we get things going a little bit better than it has in the past with them. Things are really good and I've been having a good time. We helped the Marquez family clean out their garage on Saturday and Michael has quit chewing tobacco and started beef jerky so he taught me how to do it. I can't. It's kinda weird but fun things happen all the time. This week especially. Hope everyone has a great week!

Love,
Elder Reynolds (:

Here are some pictures of a hike that we went on as well as some of the "chew" that I tried at the Marquez home. (: I love elder Strong. He's dope!

Elder Reynolds and Elder Strong - Hike

Elder Reynolds and Elder Strong - Hike

Elder Reynolds

Exchange and Stake Conf Week

This week was kinda a crazy one. It started off on Monday night when we went to the Marquez household and they put themselves on-date for October 15th. So that was awesome to see. We didn't even do anything and she put their family on date. It was a cool experience. Then on Tuesday we went on exchanges with the AP's and that is always fun. It was a good time to go to Tacoma and work with them. The rest of the week was pretty standard. On Saturday we saw the Jansky's and they are progressing. I think they are to the point where they are going to be ready to take the steps they need to, to find out if the church is true or if it isn't. We will be meeting with them again this week to make sure and help them to understand more of the Plan of Salvation and especially our purpose here on this Earth.

This weekend we had Stake Conference, the main focus of the conference was recognizing and sharing who Jesus Christ truly is to us. Many times as members of the church people don't understand that we are Christian. We need to declare these things. I am lucky enough to be here and to Declare that Christ is our Savior every day. But there are millions of people who still don't understand who we are and what we are about. I want you to know. I Believe in Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and my King. As the song goes, with all of my heart, to him I'll sing. I will shout from the rooftops to declare this truth. Each of you can too!

In the Adult session of conference our Stake President talked about creating relationships that will last into the eternities. We have to be having these types of relationships in order to understand and help others know how much we love them. Strive to create friendships that will be forever long and I can promise you that you will receive many blessings. I know that as I do the same I will be blessed and will know more fully of our Father in Heavens plan for each of us.

Hope you all have a great week!
Keep killin' it!
Elder Reynolds

#inthewatacweplayjenga We played Jenga for a FHE with a little investigator at a members home. It was really cool. I love using Jenga to teach the gospel. Thanks to Momma Reynolds for the Jenga set. Gotta love it! Even though I lost.
To see more pics of Elder Reynolds (the mission visit from Elders Uceda and Wetherford, Bremerton/Silverdale Ice Cream Party and the Labor Day Picnic) click on the link below:

https://files.mycloud.com/home.php?brand=webfiles&seuuid=50d382dc1704c13809dd9e971e5402bc&name=New_pics_from_the_Called_to_Serv